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" 

A  HOUSE  OF  BRICK 


OF  MODERATE  COST 


A  House  of  Brick 


OF  MODERATE  COST 


The  practicability  and  stability 
of  the  brick  house  —  its  value  as 
an  investment  —  as  a  thing  of 
beauty  which  will  be  a  joy  forever. 
Thoughts  concerning  these  matters 
are  here  submitted  for  consideration. 


PRICE,  FIFTY  CENTS 


Published  for 


The  Building  Brick  Association  of  America 


BY  ROGERS  &  MANSON,  BOSTON. 


Copyright,  1910 

BY 

The  Building  Brick  Association  of  America 


Third  Edition 


A  House  of  Brick  of  Moderate  Cost 


FOREWORD 


THE  designs  for  Houses  of  Moderate  Cost  which  are  presented 
in  this  book  were  selected  from  more  than  300  drawings  sub¬ 
mitted  in  a  competition  in  which  designers  of  many  of  the  lead¬ 
ing  architectural  offices  of  the  country  took  part.  A  prize  of  $500 
was  given  to  the  author  of  the  design  placed  first,  $250  to  the  author 
of  the  design  placed  second,  $150  to  the  author  of  the  design  placed 
third,  and  $100  to  the  author  of  the  design  placed  fourth.  In  addition 
six  honorable  mentions  were  given.  The  Jury  of  Award  was  com¬ 
posed  of  architects  of  high  professional  standing,  who  gave  it  as  their 
opinion  that  this  Competition  had  brought  out  a  series  of  designs  for 
small  houses  which  were  of  unusual  merit  and  interest.  The  Com¬ 
petition  was  conducted  by  one  of  the  leading  Architectural  Journals 
of  the  country  in  behalf  of  The  Building  Brick  Association  of 
America. 

The  object  of  the  Competition,  briefly  stated,  was  to  secure  designs 
from  men  of  recognized  ability  for  a  small  house  possessing  the  ele¬ 
ments  of  wholesome  beauty,  practicability,  and  stability.  These  are 
the  elements  which  should  be  given  first  consideration  by  all  who 
contemplate  building. 

Beauty  of  design  enhances  the  value  of  a  house  for  all  time ;  it  has 
a  tangible  market  value.  Wholesome  beauty  does  not  necessarily 
mean  grandeur.  Simplicity,  restraint  in  the  matter  of  ornament, 
harmony  with  environment,  the  touch  which  bespeaks  the  home  — 
these  have  made  for  beauty  in  the  past  —  they  do  now  —  they  will  in 
the  future. 

Practicability  as  applied  to  the  house  means  that  it  should  be  so 
planned  that  it  will  adequately  meet  the  needs  of  the  family  which  is 
to  occupy  it.  One  may  have  his  own  notions  about  law,  nevertheless 
he  would  not  jeopardize  his  interests  by  acting  without  the  advice  of 
a  good  lawyer.  One  may  have  his  notions  about  treatment  in  cases 


3 


of  illness,  but  it  is  only  the  foolhardy  who  refuse  to  employ  the  skill 
of  a  physician.  And  so  one  may  have  his  own  ideas  about  the  plan  of 
his  house,  but  he  makes  a  grievous  and  lasting  mistake  if  he  does 
not  employ  the  skill  of  a  good  architect.  The  architect  does  not  over¬ 
look  the  value  of  a  good  suggestion.  He  will  point  out  the  weak¬ 
nesses  in  one’s  theories  and  substitute  ideas  which  have  come  as  a 
result  of  training  and  experience.  A  good  plan  makes  the  house  not 
only  practicable  blit  helps  to  develop  its  beauty. 

Stability  is  the  essence  of  economy  in  house  building.  We  use  the 
word  in  its  broadest  sense.  The  house  should  be  so  built  that  it  will 
successfully  withstand  the  ravages  of  time  and  the  elements.  It 
should  be  built  not  only  as  a  shelter  for  the  home  but  as  an  invest¬ 
ment,  and  it  is  a  good  investment  only  as  it  has  wholesome  beauty, 
practicability,  and  stability. 

It  is  no  doubt  obvious  by  this  time  to  you,  Mr.  Reader,  that  we 
shall  recommend  as  a  building  material  for  your  house,  BRICK  — 
and  we  do  unqualifiedly  recommend  BRICK.  A  house  of  brick  can 
be  made  beautiful.  It  will  last.  It  is  a  good  investment.  It  abun¬ 
dantly  shelters  and  protects.  It  requires  little  expenditure  for  main¬ 
tenance.  Its  initial  cost  is  little  more  than  for  one  built  of  the 
cheapest  and  poorest  materials.  It  possesses  character,  refinement, 
and  stability. 

The  program  for  this  Competition  called  for  a  house  which  should 
not  exceed  $4,000  in  cost,  exclusive  of  the  land.  Many  of  the  designs 
here  shown  can  be  built  for  that  amount.  It  is  quite  evident,  how¬ 
ever,  that  some  would  cost  $5,000,  $6,000,  $7,000,  or  even  $8,000, 
to  build.  And  in  presenting  a  work  of  this  sort  we  are  glad  to  be 
able  to  offer  this  variety.  It  is  not  presumed  that  the  designs  and 
plans  will  exactly  fit  the  needs  of  every  one  who  intends  to  build,  but 
they  do  offer  suggestions  which  are  full  of  value  because  of  the  skill 
which  was  given  to  their  production.  With  certain  modifications  any 
one  of  these  designs  should  easily  meet  the  demands  of  a  prospective 
builder  in  the  matters  of  arrangement  and  cost. 

Bxcept  for  the  designs  which  were  awarded  Prizes  and  Men¬ 
tions  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  group  them  in  the  order  of  their 
merit. 


4 


toOM 


KITCHGN- 


OMPETITION  FOIL  A  BUCK,  HOVSE.**' 

—  - ! - 

A^TO  CO.ST  FOVH  THOVSAND  DOLLARS  ( 

AWARDED  FIRST  PRIZE 
DESIGN  BY  WILLIAM  BOYD,  Jr. 

436  Morewood  Avenue,  Pittsburg,  Pa 


5 


6 


AWARDED  SECOND  PRIZE 
DESIGN  BY  FRANCIS  D.  BULMAN 
122  Ames  Building,  Boston,  Mass. 


THE  BRICKBVHDER  COMP' 
ETITIOH  FOR  A  BRICK 
HOV5E  TO  COST  $400022 


W-  '  IS  -  to  25  W  W. 


5  1.  TAIL  SCALL 


AWARDED  THIRD  PRIZE 
DESIGN  BY  STEWARD  WAGNER 
40  West  36th  Street,  New  York,_N.  Y, 


7 


AWARDED  FOURTH  PRIZE 
DESIGN  BY  A.  R.  NADEL 
IS  Beacon  Street,  Boston  Mass. 


8 


AWARDED  FIRST  MENTION 
DESIGN  BY  C.  EDWARD  ARNEMANN 

46  Second  Street,  Weehawken,  N.  J.  9 


JS/Ji'tfairjniTmmjji 


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~  COMPETITION.  ~  I 

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■TouRjhouiAND  ^DolLarJ5rick:Hoi^£ 


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Fr.rs.  .a,.J  ; 

AWARDED  SECOND  MENTION 

DESIGN  BY  D.  D.  BARNES  AND  W.  A.  NEATE 

iS  Beacon  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


10 


SUBMITTED  ar 


11 


AWARDED  THIRD  MENTION 
DESIGN  BY  CHARLES  F.  HOGEBOOM 
603  St.  Marks  Avenue,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


M1CKBU1LDER  COM" 
PET1T10N  FOR  A 
SMALL  BRICK.  HOUSE 

3c<ile  htTiiv.tT# 

■hfy  JBTUK5 


{M'WOnf&Y 


AWARDED  FOURTH  MENTION 
DESIGN  BY  ALBERT  G.  HOPKINS 
>5  Beacon  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


12 


AWARDED  FIFTH  MENTION 

DESIGN  BY  CHARLES  SUMNER  SCHNEIDER 

1 1 ii  Schofield  Building,  Cleveland,  Ohio 


13 


WUCKBTOUDEa  *  COMPETITION 

A  -  #4000-00  -  BUCK  •  HOUSE  • 


Submitted  by 


Scale,  or  Plans 
Scale  or  Pc«-3^cctive 

SCAi.E  Of  3*CETC«  DtTAJL 


StCOKD  -  FLOOR^  •  PLAX 


EXSi'^rrinj-gj 


MWS 


Ij’l/i  u%m 


rit.jr  •  Feoob.  *  .Plan 


Detail  •  or  Front  *  Entrance 


AWARDED  SIXTH  MENTION 
DESIGN  BY  HOWARD  A.  GOODSPEED 
87  Pinckney  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


14 


DESIGN  BY  NORMAN  B.  BAKER 
1315  85th  Street,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

15 


16 


DESIGN  BY  J.  H.  BOSSONG 

429  80th  Street,  Bay  Ridge,  New  York,  N.  Y 


17 


DESIGN  BY  PAUL  C.  DUNHAM 

300  Cumberland  Street,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


BRICKBUILDER  •  COMPETITION 

FOIE  •  A  •  FOUIE  •THOUSAND  •  DOLLAR-  •  HOUSE.' 
SUBMITTED  BY 


•  PERSPECTIVE. 
{  i  I  r  i  I  'I 

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■  D  ETAIL  •  OF  •  ENTRANCE  ■ 

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DESIGN  BY  GEORGE  R.  KL1NKHARDT 
36o  Sixth  Street,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


18 


DESIGN  BY  E.  B.  LaCROIX 

84  Juneau  Avenue,  Milwaukee,  Wis, 


19 


ITHL  BRICIUWILD  LfL 
COMPL  T  IT  IO  IT:™ =3= 


DESIGN  BY  NORMAN  B.  BAKER 
1315  85th  Street,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


20 


DESIGN  BY  CLEMENT  ROY  NEWKIRK 
78  Lafayette  Avenue,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

21 


S252. 


22 


DESIGN  BY  JOSEPH  W.  NORTHROP 
Court  Exchange  Building,  Bridgeport,  Conn. 


23 


DESIGN  BY  JOHN  D.  WINN 

633  Law  Building,  Norfolk,  Va. 


DESIGN  BY  OLIVER  LOVELL  BUTLER 
1517  H.  Street,  N.  W.,  Washington,  D.  C. 

24 


DESIGN  BY  CLAUDE  W.  BEELMAN 

430  American  Central  Life  Building,  Indianapolia,  Ind. 


•Brick-Builder 


26 


DESIGN  BY  EUGENE  A.  McMURRAY  AND  W.  PELL  PULIS 
22  Clinton  Street,  Newark,  N.  J. 


27 


DESIGN  BY  JAMES  ROY  ALLEN 
542  Millard  Avenue,  Chicago,  Ill, 


\fgvri«<y  d»r. 


DESIGN  BY  ADAMS  &  WIGG1N 
j2o  Boylston  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


28 


DESIGN  BY  WILLIAM  F.  GOODRICH 

334  Holcomb  Avenue,  Detroit,  Mich. 

29 


30 


DESIGN  BY  J.  ACKER  HAYS 
aoio  Broadway,  New  York,  N. 


31 


DESIGN  BY  C.  H.  KYSOR 

600  West  157th  Street,  New  York, 


DESIGN  BY  S.  DOUGLAS  RITCHIE 
i  Belmont  Street,  Montreal,  Canada 


32 


DESIGN  BY  DANA  SOMES 
Box  674,  Pittsfield,  Mass. 


33 


34 


DESIGN  BY  ROBERT  TAPPAN 
415  Cutler  Building,  Rochester, 


35 


BP1CKBUILDER  COMPETITION  FOR  A  *>4000-00  HOUSE  OF  BRICK4 JUNE  1910- 


OESIGN  BY  CHARLES  F.  RABENOLD  AND  JULIAN  F.  ABELE 
1408  Land  Title  Building,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


36 


DESIGN  BY  RICHARD  FROST 
480  River  Street,  Paterson,  N.  J, 


37 


38 


DESIGN  BY  E.  C.  GUTZW1LLER 

705  Rentschler  Building,  Hamilton,  Ohio 


39 


DESIGN  BY  GEORGE  N.  JACOBS 
472  Quiucy  Street,  Dorchester,  Mass. 


tfoMPf-'.i  n  ion  -  \o\l-Ai  JoAQoaiioQjf. 


DESIGN  BY  F.  P.  HAMMOND 

465  West  159th  Street,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


40 


DESIGN  BY  WILLIAM  L.  PHILLIPS 
306  Forbes  Building,  Pittsburg,  Pa 


41 


ibcucKfcoi  LDe.c^.*  corrpem  ti  oi\i»  for- a.-  I  rouK:TMousA.Tsio-n)Oi_LAD.-e3Rjcr\-MoosEr* 


42 


DESIGN  BY  BERNHARDT  E.  MULLER 
269  West  136th  Street,  New  York  N. 


43 


DESIGN  BY  ALAIN  DE  BOUTHILLIER  CHAV1GNY 
12  Park  Circle,  Arlington  Heights,  Mass. 


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44 


DESIGN  BY  RICHARD  SHAW  AND  MAURICE  FEATHER 
loo  Boylston  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


DESIGN  BY  HOWARD  MOISE 

38  Mount  Auburn  Street,  Cambridge,  Mass. 


45 


46 


DESIGN  BY  WILLIAM  L.  MOWL 

.40  Avon  Hill  Street,  Cambridge*  Mass. 


47 


DESIGN  BY  FRANK  N.  ROBERTS 
122  Ames  Building,  Boston,  Mass. 


BRIOKBUILDER  COMPETITION  • 
FOR  A  4-4,000  DRIOKHOUSE  • 
SUBMITTED  BY  “OUGHT  TO" 


SECOND  FLOOR- 


DETAIL  OF  FRONT  ENTRANCE 
1  J  <  f 


DESIGN  BY  EDWIN  R.  CLARK 
Chelmsford,  Mass. 

48 


DESIGN  BY  WILLIAM  G.  HOLFORD 
302  Washington  Avenue,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y, 

49 


DESIGN  BY  J.  S.  ADKINS 

4238  Floral  Avenue,  Norwood,  Ohio 


50 


DESIGN  BY  LINDLEY  JOHNSON 
Harrison  Building,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


51 


BRICKU3VILDER 
COMPETITIONfoua. 
5 HALL  BRICK  HOV.5E 


DESIGN  BY  WALTER  D.  BLAIR 
281  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


52 


DESIGN  BY  GRIFFIN  H.  SIMS 
73  Tremont  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


53 


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DESIGN  BY  W.  CORNELL  APPLETON 
380  Ward  Street,  Newton  Centre,  Mass- 


54 


DESIGN  BY  CHARLES  H.  STRATTON 
Paris,  Ill. 


55 


DESIGN  BY  ROBERT  H.  WAMBOLT 
3  Hamilton  Place,  Boston,  Mass. 


56 


DESIGN  BY  W.  S.  BESSELL 

1170  Broadway,  New  York,  N.  Y, 


57 


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DESIGN  BY  ROBERT  A.  TAYLOR 
538  Elm  St.,  Camden,  N.  J. 


58 


DESIGN  BY  BENJAMIN  F.  HENDREN 
1061  Drexel  Building,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

59 


DESIGN  BY  W.  CORNELL  APPLETON 
380  Ward  Street,  Newton  Centre,  Mass, 


60 


DESIGN  BY  OSCAR  T.  LANG 

3753  Upton  Avenue,  North,  Minneapolis,  Minn 


61 


DESIGN  BY  JOHN  J.  CRAIG 
35  Congress  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


62 


DESIGN  BY  WARD  P.  DELANO,  Jr, 
452  Main  Street,  Worcester,  Mass. 


63 


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DESIGN  BY  FREDERICK  BOND,  Jr.,  AND  HERMAN  VOSS 
122  Ames  Building,  Boston,  Mass. 


64 


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DESIGN  BY  EDW.  J.  BROWN  AND  WILLIAM  F.  ZUMBUSCH 
392  Pacific  Avenue,  Jersey  City,  N.  J. 


65 


BRICK  BUILDER  COMPETITION  1910 


DESIGN  BY  O.  HALFDANE  TORP 
37  East  28th  Street,  New  York,  N.  Y, 


66 


DESIGN  BY  G.  T.  FORMAN  AND  H.  E.  WARD 
Collingswood,  N.  J. 

67 


T^RlCKBy  [LDEBLr  GQM  FETIl^ON  -t?. 

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DESIGN  BY  EDWARD  TOPANELIAN 
340  Main  Street,  Worcester,  Mass. 


68 


DESIGN  BY  MAURICE  FEATHER  AND  RICHARD  SHAW 
100  Boylston  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 

69 


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DESIGN  BY  JOHN  S.  VAN  BERGEN 
532  Fair  Oaks  Avenue,  Oak  Park,  Ill 


70 


DESIGN  BY  CHARLES  H.  NORTH 
Glenolden,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa. 


DESIGN  BY  WILLIAM  G.  HOLFORD 
302  Washington  Avenue,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


72 


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DESIGN  BY  HENRY  McGOODWIN 

Carnegie  Technical  Schools,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 


73 


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74 


• i 


DESIGN  BY  ARTHUR  T.  SMITH 

5439  Germantown  Avenue,  Germantown,  Pa. 


A  Series  of  short 
articles  rela¬ 
ting  to  the  design 
and  construction  of 
the  brick  house,  ac¬ 
companied  by  illus¬ 
trations  of  historical 
brick  houses  of  the 
Colonial  type. 


75 


Brick  or  Frame:  Which? 

MY  DECISION  to  build  of  brick  came  out  of  a  timely  talk  with 
a  friend.  This  man  had  a  house  in  which  he  had  lived  about 
five  years  when  I  went  to  him  and  told  him  of  my  plans  for 

a  home. 

“Perhaps  you’ll  be  able  to  tell  me  something  that  will  help,”  I 
suggested. 

“First  of  all,”  he  replied,  with  an  emphasis  that  surprised  me, 
“  don’t  build  a  frame  house.” 

“But  yours  is  frame.  You  built  —  ’  ’ 

My  friend  smiled.  “That’s  why  my  opinion  of  frame  houses  is 
worth  something.  My  neighbor’s  house  is  brick ;  that’s  why  my 
opinion  is  worth  still  more.  I’ve  seen  both  sides.” 

“  But  I  can’t  afford  to  use  brick,”  I  objected. 

“  You  can’t  afford  not  to.” 

“  Well,  tell  me  all  about  it.”  And  my  friend  did. 

“Six  years  ago,”  he  said,  “I  made  up  my  mind  to  build.  Hen¬ 
derson,  my  next-door  neighbor  here,  started  his  home  at  about  the 
same  time.  Our  lots  were  just  alike  —  in  fact,  their  cost  has  been 
the  same  to  the  cent. 

“We  worked  over  the  plans,  my  wife  and  I,  the  way  they  all  do,  and 
when  we  thought  we  had  them  right  we  laid  them  before  a  contractor 
whom  we  knew  to  be  honest  and  reliable.  He  offered  to  put  up  the 
house  in  wood  for  $7000,  in  brick  for  $7500. 

“  After  paying  $2000  for  the  lot,  we  had  $4000  left.  So  we  had  to 
borrow  $3000,  or  $3500,  according  as  we  chose  wood  or  brick.  There 
was  no  difficulty  about  getting  the  extra  $500.  Because  of  the  better 
investment  the  local  bank  was  only  too  glad  to  lend  the  larger  amount, 
at  5  per  cent. 

“But  somehow  the  brick  didn’t  seem  worth  it  to  me.  Like  thou¬ 
sands  of  other  men  who  set  out  to  build,  I  had  never  taken  the  pains  to 
learn  anything  much  about  materials.  I  had  the  notion  that  brick  was 
a  luxury  —  for  people  who  wouldn’t  miss  the  money. 

“  It  was  different  with  Henderson.  He  chose  brick.  Our  means 
were  about  the  same,  and  I  thought  he  was  very  extravagant. 

‘  ‘  The  first  thing  to  make  me  feel  his  advantage  occurred  during 
construction.  His  brick  came  promptly  from  a  neighboring  brickyard. 
My  lumber  was  tied  up  on  some  railroad  siding  a  hundred  miles  away. 
If  you  think  that  was  mere  luck  you  are  mistaken.  With  every  day 
that  passes  the  source  of  the  lumber  supply  becomes  more  remote,  while 
it  is  always  growing  easier  to  get  brick  near  at  hand. 


76 


‘  ‘  The  labor  for  building  a  bouse  of  brick  is  available  everywhere. 
It  is  a  simple  material  to  handle,  and  there  is  no  community  so  small 
that  competent  bricklayers  cannot  be  had.  In  masonry  there  is  less 
chance  of  leaving  hidden  flaws  than  there  is  with  carpentry. 

“  The  appearance  of  a  house  counts  heavily,  not  only  for  the  satis¬ 
faction  it  gives  the  owner  but  as  an  asset.  In  the  first  month  or  two  I 
was  inclined  to  congratulate  myself  that  my  house  lacked  the  look  of 
newness  which  seemed  to  stamp  Henderson’s.  That  did  not  last  long. 
He  trained  vines  over  his  house,  and  the  weather  began  to  give  a  pleas¬ 
ing  tone  to  the  walls. 

“  You  think  my  house  is  pretty?  So  it  is.  But  observe  the  im¬ 
pression  of  solidity,  of  substance,  that  emanates  from  the  other. 

“  If  I  train  vines  on  my  walls,  it  serves  only  to  hasten  the  wood’s 
decay.  The  weather  simply  washes  off  the  paint.  I’ve  had  to  give  the 
house  one  painting  since  I  began  living  in  it,  and  it  will  soon  need 
another.  Bach  time  it  costs  about  $100.  Henderson’s  brick  walls 
don’t  have  to  be  painted,  and  they  look  better  every  year  than  they  did 
the  year  before. 

‘  ‘  Every  once  in  a  while  I  have  trouble  from  frozen  plumbing ; 
Henderson  never  does.  In  extremely  cold  weather  I  must  have  grate 
fires  or  oil  stoves  to  help  out  the  furnace ;  he  never  needs  them.  In 
summer  his  house  is  ten  degrees  cooler  than  mine.  Brick  is  a  poor 
conductor  of  heat  —  but  I  ‘  never  thought  of  that.’ 

u  A  frame  house  reaches  its  1  prime  ’  as  soon  as  the  last  carpenter  and 
the  last  painter  are  out  of  the  way.  From  then  on  it  is  inevitably  on 
the  downward  path.  Every  year  the  expense  of  keeping  it  in  good 
order  becomes  greater.  A  brick  house  grows  more  beautiful  and  more 
valuable  as  time  passes,  with  comparatively  little  attention.  In 
England  there  are  brick  houses  that  have  stood  three  centuries.  You 
see  I  know  something  about  the  subject  now.  It’s  a  pity  I  hadn’t 
learned  it  in  time. 

“And  I  built  of  wood  to  avoid  borrowing  $500  —  about  7  per  cent 
of  the  value  of  the  frame  building  —  which  I  could  have  had  for  the 
asking.  It  was  one  of  the  most  expensive  things  I  ever  did.  It  is 
just  what  you  and  thousands  of  more  like  you  are  about  to  do,  because 
you  won’t  take  the  trouble  to  make  a  few  easy  inquiries  and  learn 
something  about  materials  before  you  choose.  ’  ’ 

Chastened  and  wiser,  I  rose  to  go. 

“  But  you  haven’t  heard  the  worst  of  it,”  said  my  friend. 

“What  is  that?” 

‘ 1  My  wife  stood  out  for  brick  and  I  overruled  her.  She  has  never 
said,  ‘  I  told  you  so,’  but  I  can’t  help  feeling  she’s  thought  it  many  a 
time.” 


77 


Stenton” 


0  HOUSE  of  the  Georgian  period  has  more  of 


historical  and  architectural  interest  than  this 


charming  edifice  at  Germantown,  Pa.  It  was  designed 
and  built  by  James  Logan,  first  secretary  to  William 
Penn,  in  the  year  1728.  During  this  period  brick  came 
into  general  use  and  soon  proved  its  effectiveness,  both 
in  a  practical  and  artistic  manner.  By  examining 
closely  the  texture  of  the  brickwork  with  the  wonder¬ 
ful  tone  value  which  nature  alone  can  produce,  one  is 
impressed  with  the  fact  that  brick  is  the  tmost  beau¬ 
tiful,  the  most  permanent,  and  the  most  economical  of 
building  materials. 


78 


STENTON  HOUSE,  GERMANTOWN,  PA  BUILT  1  ?28 


79 


The  Beauty  of  the  Brick  House 

BRICK  is  the  aristocrat  of  building  materials.  It  has  a  known 
pedigree  which  goes  back  to  the  day,  more  than  three  thousand 
years  before  Christ,  when  the  Assyrians  reared  their  terraced 
temples  and  palaces  in  Western  Asia.  In  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  whence 
Abraham  went  into  the  Land  of  Canaan,  in  Nineveh,  in  Babylon,  the 
important  buildings  were  made  of  brick. 

Great  masters  of  architecture  had  established  ideals  of  beauty  in 
brick  centuries  before  the  Greeks  reared  their  structures  of  marble  and 
stone.  And  the  simple  block  of  burned  clay  has  held  its  place  through 
the  ages,  ever  appearing  in  the  centers  where  the  art  and  taste  of  the 
world  have  taken  up  their  headquarters.  We  are  told  by  historians 
that,  after  Rome  yielded  its  supremacy  to  Byzantium,  brick  came  to  the 
front,  after  a  period  of  partial  eclipse,  and  assumed  the  importance  which 
it  has  been  able  to  claim  ever  since. 

It  is  natural  that  the  Old  World  should  know  more  about  brick, 
appreciate  more  clearly  its  infinite  possibilities,  than  does  America. 
Europe  has  been  a  land  of  brick  houses  for  hundreds  of  years  ;  America 
is  only  just  beginning  to  emerge  from  the  “wooden  age.”  Many  a 
traveler  has  returned  from  abroad  with  tales  of  the  picturesque  homes 
of  England,  quite  unaware  that  the  underlying  cause  of  their  charm  lies 
in  the  material  —  solid,  dignified  brick,  the  appeal  of  which  has  only 
been  enhanced  by  years  of  sunshine  and  storm. 

Charles  Thomas  Mathews,  author  of  The  Story  of  Architecture ,  says 
that,  “  roughly  defined,  architecture  is  the  art  of  ornamental  construc¬ 
tion  ;  not  ornamental  in  the  sense  of  decorated,  but  in  the  harmonious 
distribution  of  mass,  in  the  convincing  beauty  of  proportion.”  The 
same  standard  applies  to  the  modest  home  as  to  the  vast  public  library  or 
court  house.  “  Convincing  beauty  ”  is  not  a  matter  of  money.  Perfect 
taste  and  the  perfect  material  can  be  put  into  a  $4,000  or  $5,000  home  as 
well  as  into  the  millionaire’s  palace.  Is  there  any  one  who  has  not  been 
fortunate  enough  to  see,  at  some  time  in  his  life,  a  little  brick  house  that 
appealed  to  him  as  being  all  that  it  should  be,  an  ideal  companion  for  the 
trees  and  the  grass  and  the  hills  around  —  a  little  house  that  cost  no 
more  than  the  gate  lodge  of  some  expensive  and  glaring  ‘  ‘  villa  ’  ’  ? 

Brick  is  the  material  that  succeeds,  as  none  other  can,  in  adapting 
itself  to  the  wants  of  the  man  with  good  taste  and  a  moderate  income. 
In  the  house  built  on  a  proper  plan,  it  suggests  all  the  qualities  that 
should  be  associated  with  the  word  home  —  permanency,  hospitality, 
warmth,  comfort,  beauty.  And  brick  has  that  rare  and  wonderful 
characteristic  which  is  said  to  distinguish  the  elect  among  womankind 
—  it  grows  old  beautifully. 


80 


In  a  building  it  is  not  possible  to  have  real  beauty  without  strength. 
The  eye  cannot  be  thoroughly  satisfied,  if  in  the  mind  lurks  the  con¬ 
sciousness  that  the  architect’s  creation  is  to  be  vanquished  in  the  battle 
with  Time.  Time  is  powerless  to  mar  the  beauty  or  to  sap  the  strength 
of  brick.  Generations  may  come  and  go,  but  the  sturdy  brick  walls  of 
the  homestead  stay  on.  Brick  may  reach  a  venerable  old  age —  it  never 
reaches  the  state  of  decrepitude.  Brick  comes  from  the  bosom  of  Mother 
Barth,  in  the  form  of  plastic  clay  ;  it  is  hardened  by  the  most  powerful 
agency  known  in  the  world  —  fire,  and  is  proof  against  the  further 
attacks  of  fire ;  it  defies  wind  and  rain ;  it  is  as  enduring  as  earth  itself. 

To  be  a  success  any  work  of  art  must  have  individuality,  character . 
The  painter  produces  his  effects  by  combining  colors.  Bach  primary 
color  is  a  unit,  and  the  mixture  and  application  of  these  colors  make 
possible  a  limitless  number  of  combinations.  So  it  is  with  brick.  The 
number  and  the  variety  of  units  give  full  play  to  the  talents  of  the  archi¬ 
tect.  He  uses  them  as  an  artist  uses  his  paints.  He  can  produce  a 
house  with  character. 

Since  the  day  when  the  Assyrians  were  in  their  glory  the  inventive 
genius  of  man  has  wrought  great  improvements  in  brick.  Nowadays  it 
is  turned  out  of  the  kiln  in  nearly  every  color  and  shade,  in  every  degree 
of  coarseness  and  fineness.  It  dams  a  river,  it  paves  a  street,  it  forms 
the  wall  of  a  factory,  it  adorns  the  inside  as  well  as  the  outside  of  a 
home. 

There  was  once  a  time  when  the  mortar  joint  was  regarded  as  an 
unwelcome  necessity,  but  that  time  is  past.  Modem  art  has  shown  that 
mortar  can  be  made  a  valuable  ally  in  attaining  the  ultimate  object, 
beauty.  With  their  units  of  many  colors,  the  architect  and  the  clever 
brick-worker  create  a  surface  which  has  the  look  of  a  skilfully  woven 
fabric.  Thus  the  bonding  together  of  brick  permits  of  varied  effects  in 
what  the  architects  call  “  texture.” 

Brick  has  such  a  quality  of  humanity  as  clings  to  no  other  substance 
that  goes  into  the  making  of  a  house.  There  is  always  the  knowledge 
that  here  is  the  work  of  human  hands  —  that  every  piece  was  made  by 
man  and  put  into  place  by  man.  The  effect,  produced  by  man’s  har¬ 
monious  arrangement  of  his  many  units,  is  one  of  lasting  vitality. 

It  may  be  taken  for  granted  that  many  a  home  builder  has  passed 
brick  by  because  of  mistaken  ideas  about  its  cost.  In  these  days  there 
is  no  reason  for  any  man,  who  is  planning  to  build,  to  yearn  in  vain  for 
a  home  of  brick  ;  he  may  have  it  if  he  wrants  it.  And  he  will  want 
nothing  else  if  he  studies  the  course  of  present-day  thought  in  archi¬ 
tecture  —  if  he  learns  what  the  leading  architects  and  builders  of  the 
world  consider  the  most  beautiful,  the  most  permanent,  the  most 
economical  of  all  materials. 


81 


Brice  House 

THIS  house,  sometimes  known  as  the  Jennings 
House,  was  built  in  the  city  of  Annapolis,  1740. 
It  is  surrounded  by  a  large  number  of  substantial  houses 
erected  from  the  old  brick  that  was  brought  to  Annap¬ 
olis  as  ballast  in  the  light-freighted  vessels  that  came 
for  tobacco.  Its  plan  exhibits  the  typical  southern 
arrangement,  a  central  building  with  flanking  pavilions. 
The  house  is  in  excellent  condition  and  stands  to-day 
with  all  its  original  solidity.  Age  only  tends  to  enrich 
what  is  already  beautiful. 


82 


83 


BRICE  HOUSE,  ANNAPOLIS,  MD.  BUILT  1  ?4o 


The  Maintenance  of  a  Brick  House 

WHEN  a  man  walks  into  a  shop  to  buy  a  suit  of  clothes  he  will 
examine  several  pieces  of  cloth  with  minute  care,  hold  them  up 
to  the  light,  and  rub  them  to  test  the  material  and  the  texture. 
He  is  anxious  about  the  matter.  He  directs  the  tailor’s  attention  to  a 
certain  piece,  and  says  :  “I  like  the  looks  of  that,  but  will  it  wear?  ” 

It  is  an  astonishing  fact  that  many  thousands  of  men,  every  year,  give 
less  attention  to  the  material  they  select  for  their  houses  than  to  the  ma¬ 
terial  they  select  for  their  clothes.  To  the  man  of  moderate  means  none 
of  his  possessions  is  the  hundredth  part  as  valuable  as  his  house.  He 
builds  it  usually  with  the  intention  of  living  in  it  the  rest  of  his  life. 
Yet  he  decides  upon  a  building  material  in  an  off-hand  manner  that 
would  be  more  fitting  to  the  choice  of  his  after-dinner  cigar. 

If  you  are  about  to  build,  and  you  hear  extolled  the  virtues  of  some 
particular  kind  of  house,  the  question  you  should  ask  is  the  one  that 
you  put  to  the  tailor — “Will  it  wear?”  And,  having  asked,  you 
should  not  be  satisfied  until  you  get  at  the  truth.  When  you  have  ex¬ 
hausted  all  the  sources  of  reliable  information  you  will  have  found  that, 
of  all  building  materials,  brick  stands  supreme. 

The  building  of  a  home,  and  the  paying  for  it,  are  serious  affairs. 
There  is  something  else  that  is  even  more  important  —  keeping  it  up 
after  you  have  it.  The  construction  is  over  in  a  comparatively  short 
time  ;  the  payment  of  the  contractor’s  bill,  though  a  very  painful  ordeal, 
does  not  take  long,  for  you  have  calculated  it  all  out  beforehand.  But 
maintenance  is  the  concern  of  a  lifetime .  If  one  has  built  well,  the 
smallness  of  the  cost  of  maintenance  will  be  a  perpetual  comfort.  If 
one  has  built  badly  the  increasing  cost  of  maintenance  will  always  be  a 
thorn  in  the  flesh  —  and  a  thorn  that  pierces  deeper  and  deeper  every 
year. 

Aside  from  considerations  of  beauty  and  safety  —  and  these  are  con¬ 
siderations  powerful  in  its  favor  —  brick  is  the  ideal  material  because  it 
reduces  the  cost  of  maintenance  to  a  minimum.  There  is  no  other 
house  that  so  nearly  keeps  itself  as  a  brick  house. 

Insurance  rates  are  not  as  high  on  brick  as  they  are  on  frame.  In¬ 
surance  has  to  be  paid  every  year,  and  a  saving  here  is  a  permanent 
saving.  If  the  time  ever  comes  when  it  is  necessary  to  sell,  a  low 
insurance  rate  is  an  argument  which  never  fails  to  appeal. 

Brick  is  no  more  subject  to  decay  than  is  the  earth  under  foot.  It  is 
earth,  in  actual  fact,  moulded  into  shape  by  the  hand  of  man,  and  it  has 
the  same  immunity  from  the  effects  of  time  and  weather.  On  the  con- 


84 


trary,  wood  decays  rapidly.  The  process,  being  gradual,  is  not  notice¬ 
able,  and  the  knowledge  that  his  frame  house  has  “gone  to  pieces  ” 
comes  upon  the  owner,  most  often,  as  a  sort  of  sudden  discovery.  He 
finds  that  a  general  renovation  is  necessary.  The  cost  of  one  renovation 
alone  will  eat  up  the  entire  difference  in  first  cost  between  brick  and 
wood  ;  often  it  will  far  exceed  it. 

The  house  of  wood  requires  frequent  painting.  If  the  painting  is 
omitted,  the  house  is  unsightly  ;  if  it  is  done  as  thoroughly  and  as  fre¬ 
quently  as  it  should  be,  it  means  the  expenditure  of  money.  Brick  does 
not  need  to  be  painted.  Wind  and  rain  and  the  gentle  touch  of  the  years 
give  it  a  tone  that  no  artificial  coloring  matter  can  equal. 

A  brick  house  is  heated  far  more  easily  and  cheaply  than  a  house  of 
wood.  Not  only  does  the  material  act  as  a  non-conductor  of  heat,  but 
the  walls  are  much  thicker  than  those  of  a  frame  building.  There  are 
none  of  the  crevices  which,  though  unseen,  exist  in  nearly  every  frame 
house  of  the  modern  type.  The  coal  bills,  for  a  winter,  are  at  least  35 
per  cent  higher  for  frame  than  for  brick. 

The  doctor’s  bills,  made  necessary  by  cold  and  drafty  rooms,  it  is 
not  possible  to  calculate,  but  if  the  Government  statisticians  set  to  work 
on  this  they  would  produce  some  illuminating  figures.  Many  a  case  of 
grippe  or  pneumonia  would  have  been  avoided  if  the  father  of  the  family 
had  chosen  his  building  material  with  more  care. 

The  non-conductive  qualities  of  brick  are  as  valuable  in  summer  as 
in  winter.  If  brick  keeps  the  heat  in,  it  also  keeps  it  out.  There  is  no 
house  so  cool  as  one  of  brick. 

Noiselessness  is  an  advantage  to  which  the  prospective  builder  is  apt 
to  give  little  thought.  It  is  a  real  advantage,  nevertheless,  and  happy 
is  he  who  dwells  within  walls  that  deaden  sound.  Brick  is  the  best 
stifler  of  noise.  It  goes  far  toward  providing  the  quiet  and  repose  which 
are  the  attributes  of  every  complete,  well  ordered  home. 

The  general  repair  bills,  for  the  owner  of  a  framehouse,  make  up  an 
important  item  in  the  year’s  expenses.  To  the  dweller  in  brick  they 
are  relatively  insignificant.  The  carpenter  may  do  his  work  well,  as 
carpentry  work  goes,  but  he  has  to  come  back  often.  The  mason  fin¬ 
ishes  his  job ,  walks  away  with  his  tools ,  and  never  has  to  come  back .  He 
can  look  at  his  wall  and  truthfully  say  :  “  Yes,  it  will  last.  ” 

Economists  lay  down  the  principle  that  prices,  in  the  long  run,  follow 
values.  Of  the  value  of  a  thing  there  is  no  criterion  so  trustworthy  as 
the  price  it  will  fetch.  And  here  is  the  ultimate  test  of  the  compara¬ 
tive  value  of  brick  and  frame.  A  frame  house  deteriorates  steadily  as  a 
“selling  proposition.”  A  brick  house  does  not  deteriorate.  As  an 
investment  a  frame  house  is  like  a  share  of  uncertain  mining  stock. 
A  brick  house  is  like  a  United  States  Government  bond. 


85 


Cradock  House 

^HIS  charming  old  house  was  built  in  1632  for 
Governor  Cradock,  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay 
Colony.  It  is  the  oldest  dwelling  in  the  original  por¬ 
tion  of  the  United  States,  and  is  one  of  the  many  that 
grace  the  old  Colonial  town  of  Medford,  Mass.  The 
house  is  well-nigh  fireproof  with  walls  18  inches  thick, 
and  was  used  as  one  of  three  brick  forts.  The  oval 
windows  were  originally  portholes.  For  nearly  three 
hundred  years  it  has  withstood  the  ravages  of  time  and 
weather  and  stands  to-day  a  living  monument  to  the 
durability  of  brick  as  a  building  material. 


86 


87 


CRADOCK  HOUSE,  MEDFORD,  MASS.  BUILT  1632 


The  Brick  House  Safe  from  Fire 

AS  INSURANCE  men  use  the  word  “  risk  ”  it  is  merely  a  cold¬ 
blooded  business  term.  We  will  consider  that  phase  of  the 
subject  later. 

The  man  who  owns  a  house  and  lives  in  it  uses  the  word  in  the  orig¬ 
inal  sense.  Safety  must  come  before  everything  else.  As  fire  is  prac¬ 
tically  the  only  destructive  agency  to  be  feared,  the  question  becomes  : 
Is  the  house  safe  from  fire  ? 

Is  it  made  of  such  material  that  wfife  and  children  may  be  smothered 
in  their  beds  almost  before  they  wake  ?  Or  is  it  built  so  as  to  give  the 
maximum  of  security?  All  of  us  have  to  live  in  houses,  even  if  we 
don’t  own  our  own,  and  these  are  questions  which  touch  every  man. 

Nor  are  they  questions  to  answer  which  need  cause  much  puzzling. 
Expert  opinion  is  agreed  on  two  facts  :  First,  that  a  frame  house  is  the 
most  easily  and  quickly  burned ;  second,  that  a  brick  house  approaches 
more  closely  than  any  other  the  “  absolutely  fire-proof  ”  ideal. 

Brick  is  made  by  fire.  In  the  process  of  manufacture  it  is  subjected 
to  a  heat  of  at  least  2,000  degrees  Fahrenheit.  It  cannot  bum.  If 
brickwork  ever  gives  way  it  is  due  to  some  powerful  mechanical  force 
—  falling  timbers,  or  explosion,  or  earthquake  —  never  to  fire. 

The  record  of  every  great  conflagration  is  filled  with  examples  of  the 
indestructibility  of  brick.  In  Chicago,  in  Baltimore,  in  San  Francisco, 
brick  stood  the  test.  Hear  the  words  of  Major  John  Stephen  Sewell, 
United  States  Army,  one  of  the  Government  experts  sent  out  to  investi¬ 
gate  and  report  upon  the  San  Francisco  fire.  After  spending  days 
among  the  ruins,  he  said  : 

‘  ‘  A  conflagration  never  yields  reliable  comparative  results,  but  from 
such  comparative  results  as  are  available,  I  think  there  is  no  question 
that  the  best  fire-resisting  material  available  at  the  present  tune  is  the 
right  kind  of  burned  clay." 

The  great  conflagration  hazard  present  in  every  American  city  is 
due  to  the  use  of  wood  in  building  construction.  This  is  not  a  theory  ; 
it  is  a  fact  stated  upon  the  authority  of  the  National  Fire  Protection 
Association.  Do  you  want  this  hazard  to  apply  to  your  house  ? 

In  America  the  fire  loss  in  1907  was  $2.51  per  capita.  In  Europe 
it  was  33  cents.  Here  is  the  answer  :  America  uses  500  feet  of  lumber 
per  capita,  Europe  60  feet.  Europe  uses  brick. 


88 


Even  Russia,  the  country  we  are  accustomed  to  speak  of  as  half 
civilized,  has  a  per  capita  loss  less  than  half  of  ours.  If  ours  had  been 
the  same  as  Russia’s  in  1907,  we  would  have  saved  $116,000,000  in 
that  one  year !  Russia  uses  brick. 

Suppose  that  your  neighbor  has  a  frame  house.  If  it  catches  fire 
in  the  dead  of  night,  before  you  are  awake  your  own  house,  if  it  is 
frame,  will  be  ablaze.  And  before  the  fire  engine  can  get  there,  it  will 
be  a  ruin.  But  if  you  live  within  brick  walls  you  are  safe.  A  pail  of 
water  with  brick ,  is  equal  to  a  whole  fire  department  with-  wood . 

You  regret  your  neighbor’s  misfortune,  but  is  there  any  reason 
why  your  house  should  be  burned  along  with  his  ?  That  is  expensive 
sympathy.  Rather  would  you  be  able  to  offer  a  shelter  to  his  fright¬ 
ened  and  shivering  family. 

As  the  dweller  in  a  brick  house  is  protected  from  without,  so  is  he 
protected  inside.  The  experts  tell  us  that  fires  in  homes  start  most 
often  from  flues  or  electric  wires  in  the  walls.  If  the  walls  are  brick, 
the  defective  flue  or  the  “  short  circuit  ”  can  do  no  damage. 

Fire  is  spread  by  drafts.  There  are  fewer  drafts  in  a  house  of  brick 
than  in  any  other  kind.  If  fire  starts  there  at  all,  it  starts  in  the  open, 
where  it  is  quickly  detected  and  can  be  quickly  put  out.  It  cannot  gain 
headway,  as  in  a  frame  house,  hidden  in  the  wall ;  nor  in  the  floor, 
because  the  spaces  between  the  ends  of  the  floor  beams  are  filled  in  with 
brick,  and  there  are  no  drafts. 

We  now  come  to  the  business  meaning  of  ‘ 1  risk.  ’  ’  The  whole  story 
of  brick  versus  wood,  condensed,  is  simply  this :  Generally  speaking, 
the  insurance  rates  on  brick  buildings  are  not  much  more  than  one-half 
as  high  as  on  wooden  buildings. 

The  vicissitudes  of  fortune  have  compelled  many  a  man  to  sell  the 
house  that  he  built  to  live  in.  Here  again  enters  the  question  of 
‘  ‘  risk.  ’  ’  One  of  the  first  things  a  purchaser  wants  to  know  about  is 
fire  protection.  If  you  tell  him  that  your  house  is  brick,  you  “play 
trumps.  ”  You  have  given  the  one  answer  that  is  sure  to  be  satisfactory. 

We  have  quoted  high  authority  upon  the  value  of  brick  as  a  fire- 
resisting  substance.  Expert  endorsement,  though,  is  merely  the  result 
of  experience,  and  any  one  of  us  can  learn,  first-hand,  of  the  actual 
achievements  of  brick.  Ask  any  architect  or  contractor,  ask  any  insur¬ 
ance  man,  ask  your  friend  who  lives  in  a  brick  house.  They  will  all  tell 
you  that  brick  has  won  out. 


89 


John  Derby  House 

AMONG  the  lovely  old  houses  in  Salem,  Mass.,  the 
L  Derby  mansion  stands  out  as  one  of  extreme 
simplicity,  around  wbicb  cluster  many  strange  and  curi¬ 
ous  traditions.  It  was  built  in  1760  and  stands  to-day 
a  typical  example  of  delicacy  and  grace,  combined  with 
perfect  harmony  and  proportion  of  parts.  It  is  inter¬ 
esting  to  note  the  fancy  rounded  bricks  which  serve  as 
an  ornamentation  between  the  first  and  second  stories. 
The  house  is  in  excellent  condition  considering  that 
little  or  no  repairs  have  ever  been  made,  which  only 
shows  that  brick  is  very  durable  and  reduces  the  cost  of 
maintenance  to  a  minimum. 


90 


91 


JOHN  DERBY  HOUSE,  SALEM,  MASS.  BUILT  1  ?60 


Woodford  House 


MONG  the  relics  of  Colonial  days  there  is  no 


jLjL  more  venerable  mansion  in  existence  than  the 
Woodford  House  in  Fairmount  Park,  Philadelphia.  It 
was  built  with  the  spirit  of  our  early  settlers  who 
erected  their  houses  with  the  one  idea  in  mind  —  per¬ 
manency.  Standing  since  1734  it  offers  a  very  pic¬ 
turesque  effect,  by  growing  beautiful  along  with  the 
trees  and  vines  that  have  mellowed  with  it  during 
these  many  years.  One  cannot  help  but  wonder  how  a 
building  so  old  has  deteriorated  so  little.  It  only 
proves  the  lasting  qualities  of  good  brickwork. 


92 


93 


WOODFORD  HOUSE,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA.  BUILT  1  £34 


“Homewood” 


THIS  low,  rambling  building,  over  140  feet  long,  is 
one  of  the  well-known  brick  Colonial  houses  of 
the  South.  It  was  built  in  1803  by  Charles  Carroll  of 
Carrollton  and  is  considered  one  of  the  best  examples 
of  this  style  of  architecture.  The  real  charm  of 
“Homewood”  lies  in  the  unusual  refinement  of  the 
detail  throughout.  The  exterior  walls  are  of  small  red 
brick  laid  in  Flemish  bond,  furnishing  an  individual 
character  that  will  ever  be  permanent  as  well  as  beauti¬ 
ful.  Surely  the  people  of  Baltimore  are  justified  in 
claiming  this  brick  structure,  so  decorative  and  digni¬ 
fied,  as  one  of  the  most  imposing  homes  in  America. 


94 


HOMEWOOD,”  BALTIMORE,  MD  BUILT  I803 


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